THE Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) held its annual awards ceremony and dinner last Wednesday at the Pegasus Hotel’s Savannah Suite. The event, which was chaired by Kit Nascimento, was attended by business people, government ministers, parliamentarians, media practitioners, as well as members of the diplomatic community.

Mr. Nascimento disclosed that it is the 124th year since the Chamber was founded, and that Mr. Clinton Urling is its youngest ever president.

Mr. Urling reminded guests that the purpose of the ceremony was to honour the best in business this year and especially remembered the contributions made by past presidents, by declaring : “We stand on the shoulders of giants and we’re drinking from wells we didn’t dig.”
According to Mr. Urling, the state of GCCI has never been more robust as the monies in the coffers reflect a new record, which is $11M more than what they had last year. He further noted that the Chamber is continually busy, and that not a day passes without it being mentioned in the media. He added that it has been featured in regional business magazines, as well as on NCN’s “Weekly Business Review.” The Chamber can also be found on social media sites, such as Facebook, where it has established a presence. Furthermore, they are conducting regular seminars, which are well attended and are receiving daily requests for collaboration, according to the GCCI President.
This success has allowed them to be non-partisan, staunch advocates for any initiative that focuses on developing the country. In closing, Urling urged all present not to lose sight of the country’s national motto, “One people, One Nation, One Destiny”, before quoting the late civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who said, “We are tied together in the single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.”
The main speaker of the evening was Dr. Justin Ram, a Trinidad & Tobago national who is the current Director of Economics at the Caribbean Development Bank in Barbados. In his address, Dr. Ram painted a picture of Guyana’s economic past, present and future. His conclusion was that the steps that Guyana took during the 1980s in an attempt to develop the country and grow the economy were largely unsuccessful. Since then they have made significant strides in a number of areas, and are hence, in a much better place, economically. Dr. Ram told the audience that the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has already assisted Guyana in the following areas, including roads, docks, sea defences and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET). He noted that extreme poverty is down and that the country’s GDP growth has outperformed that of many other Caribbean countries. Dr. Ram expressed the view that Guyana is very likely to reach its MDG goals. However, there are still significant challenges ahead, one of which is the country’s poor infrastructure. But he stressed that all of these challenges can be overcome. According to Dr. Ram, the government and private sector must build consensus on the way forward. He urged the private sector to take the lead in the country’s development, and affirmed that the CDB, together with other development partners stand ready to assist the country in achieving all its development goals.
This year, the Chamber for the first time honoured its past presidents from 1967 to 2012. The past GCCI presidents who were honoured include, Mr. Sheik Nasseer (1967- 1969), Denis Moore (1989 – 1992 & 1994 – 1995), Hansel Barrow (1993-1994), Manniram Prashad (1995-2001), Edward Boyer (2001- 2005), Captain Gerald Gouveia (2005-2007, Colonel (Retired) Carl Morgan (2007- 2008), Chandradat Chintamani (2008 – 2010) and Komal Ramnauth (2010 – 2012).
The Media Award 2013, given in recognition of outstanding media coverage of the work of the Chamber and Business Community, was presented to Capitol News.
The Long Service Award 2013, given in recognition of long and outstanding membership, dedication and commitment to the Chamber was presented to The Demerara Tobacco Company, which has been a member of the Chamber since 1944.
The Public Service Award of Excellence 2013, given for effectively facilitating the work of the business community by exhibiting the highest standard of service, was presented to the Ministry of Home Affairs for collaborating with the Chamber and other private sector organisations on a number of initiatives.
The Corporate Citizenship Award (Small to Medium) 2013, given in recognition of a company’s demonstration of ethical leadership, good corporate governance and community investment, was presented to John Lewis Styles.
Corporate Citizenship Award (Large) 2013, given in recognition of a company’s demonstration of ethical leadership, good corporate governance and community investment, was presented to Courts Guyana for recognising the company’s active involvement in community service programmes aimed at alleviating critical social problems.
The Award for Innovation 2013, given for recorded breakthrough achievements in technology, processes, marketing campaigns and development that have impacted positively on quality of products, services, customer satisfaction, process efficiencies, employee satisfaction and company/product image, was given to Impressions for being the first to introduce digital fabric printing in Guyana and the Caribbean.
The Chamber Award 2013, given in recognition of an individual’s demonstrated and continued active interest in the well-being of the Chamber and significant contributions to the overall success of the organisation and its work, was given to Mr. Komal Ramnauth.
The Chamber Award 2013, given in recognition of an individual’s demonstrated and continued active interest in the well-being of the Chamber and significant contributions to the overall success of the organisation and its work, was given to Executive Director of the Chamber Ms. Bonita Marissa Lowden.
The Chamber’s Young Business Executive Award 2013, given to someone under the age of 40, in recognition of a demonstration of ambition, skill, vision and tangible business success, was given to Terry Singh of JAPARTS.
The Chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award 2013, given in recognition of an individual’s contributions to the development of the Business Environment in Guyana which present opportunities for learning in future generations, was presented to Marie June Mendes, chairperson of the Farfan and Mendes Group of Companies.
The President’s Award 2013, awarded in recognition of a company’s achievements, significant investments, growth and good corporate citizenship was presented to the Footsteps Megastore at the corner of Regent & Camp Streets
The Business of the Year Award (Small to Medium Business) 2013, awarded for a company’s demonstration of good overall performance in the areas of financial growth, customer satisfaction, internal processes improvements, employee relations, development and corporate citizenship, was presented to the Princess Hotel & Casino Fun City Family Entertainment Centre.
The Business of the Year Award (Large Business) 2013, given for a company’s demonstration of good overall performance in the areas of financial growth, customer satisfaction, internal processes improvements, employee relations, development and corporate citizenship, was awarded to Queens Atlantic Investment Inc.
Written By Jimmy Roos